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Topic: Rakuten 20% cash back-Memorial day (Read 3407 times)

The former buy.com, rakuten.com is offering an extra 20% cash back in bonus dollars. For a $2k lens, you get 40000 bonus points which are worth $400 on a future purchase. Note $250 can only be applied at a time. Still a good deal.

Scaredof [size=120%]1/5 [/size] posted May-07-2013 "Credit Card info was stolen after shopping at Rakuten. Worst experience with data security. I will never ever buy from this site. Does not have the basic infrastructure security of e-commerce shopping in place yet." This review was modified by Scaredof on May 07 2013 12:43:17 PM report?Is this review?…HelpfulCoolShare[/size]septer[size=120%]1/5 [/size] posted May-06-2013 "A few days after my CREDIT CARD purchase at Rakuten, unknown charges started appearing on my credit card. I was greedy and wanted the points, so didn't use the other pay services. I may be paying for that mistake for a long time to come. [/color]

There is usually a limit as to how many points you can accrue on a purchase. Normally, it's 25,000 ($250), but I have seen it as high as 30,000 ($300). If you purchase a $2000 item, thinking you will get 40,000 points, you may be disappointed. Read the fine print, it varies from offer to offer.

When they do these promotions, you usually have a specific window that the points are valid in. They typically become available 15 days after purchase and then must be used in the next 30 to 45 days or they expire.

When spending your points, you can only spend 25,000 ($250) points per order, so if you have more points, don't plan on spending them all on one item/order.

If you accrue or spend more than 60,000 ($600) in one calendar year, they claim they will file a 1099 with the IRS in your name. I'm not sure how that works, since they would need your SSN, but' it's in the fine print.

Their prices on Canon lenses are competitive, but not always the best deal. The Amazon price is often lower. Make sure you account for the difference in price and include that in the total, when determining if a particular item is a deal.

These points can still be a good deal, but make sure you know the details. Then you can judge just how good of a deal something is or is not.

There is usually a limit as to how many points you can accrue on a purchase. Normally, it's 25,000 ($250), but I have seen it as high as 30,000 ($300). If you purchase a $2000 item, thinking you will get 40,000 points, you may be disappointed. Read the fine print, it varies from offer to offer.

When they do these promotions, you usually have a specific window that the points are valid in. They typically become available 15 days after purchase and then must be used in the next 30 to 45 days or they expire.

When spending your points, you can only spend 25,000 ($250) points per order, so if you have more points, don't plan on spending them all on one item/order.

If you accrue or spend more than 60,000 ($600) in one calendar year, they claim they will file a 1099 with the IRS in your name. I'm not sure how that works, since they would need your SSN, but' it's in the fine print.

Their prices on Canon lenses are competitive, but not always the best deal. The Amazon price is often lower. Make sure you account for the difference in price and include that in the total, when determining if a particular item is a deal.

These points can still be a good deal, but make sure you know the details. Then you can judge just how good of a deal something is or is not.

In any event, calling points "Cash Back" is misleading or even a scam. I avoid such deals like the plague.

canon rumors FORUM

Hey this was my thread and not a scam thread. What I'm hearing sounds like some 'dealers writing to keep people from buying elsewhere and saving some money'. PLUS no Sales Tax!This is the former buy.com site, http://www.rakuten.com, I actually made the purchase over the memorial weekend of a 24-70 f2.8 lens from them, shipped from Adorama & delivered on Friday, got 40k points which I noted, can be used $250 at a time.Have not gotten any spam mail or any surprise credit card charges.My post clearly said it was cash back in bonus dollars. They can be used toward any item.Looks like I know some dealers I won't be doing business with.Joe MontoroSt Augustine Fl

Hey this was my thread and not a scam thread. What I'm hearing sounds like some 'dealers writing to keep people from buying elsewhere and saving some money'. PLUS no Sales Tax!This is the former buy.com site, http://www.rakuten.com, I actually made the purchase over the memorial weekend of a 24-70 f2.8 lens from them, shipped from Adorama & delivered on Friday, got 40k points which I noted, can be used $250 at a time.Have not gotten any spam mail or any surprise credit card charges.My post clearly said it was cash back in bonus dollars. They can be used toward any item.Looks like I know some dealers I won't be doing business with.Joe MontoroSt Augustine Fl

How are you connected with them??

When a first post advertises a site that has a ton of people who are complaining, its more than a bit suspicious.

Buy.com had good reason to change their name. (To get away from their reputation). They were one of the first online web stores that was successful, I bought a ton of stuff from them in the 1990's. Since then, their reputation has tanked.

Thanks for the links Mt Spokane Photography. And I can understand how you might think my first post was to pump my own site. I'm not connected to them in any way other than I bought the lens from them through Adorama, it was delivered before the estimated date & no incorrect charges were on my card. I wanted to let others know they might save some money on 'price fixed items'. When dealers don't offer discounts on these items, or offer bonus points & charge sales tax, a online site helps. So on the $2k lens that is $160 in tax, plus the 40k in points which amounts to $400 toward something else, which nets me $560.

The Toms Hardware posts was last updated in 2010 and the complaints I read from consumer affairs site are due to most of the customers own fault. Many on them were complaints about delivery issues when the billing and shipping address was not the same. Or some had complaints about a 3rd party vendor no one has heard of. Yes I agree, read the fine print and suggest you buy from name vendors.

For what I was talking about, buying a Canon body or lens, the 3rd parties were authorized well known dealers and the bonus points can save people money on future orders. I've used bonus points from buy.com before and never had an issue.Joe